Hyderabad: A 28-year-old man from Maharashtra allegedly killed his six-year-old daughter in Telangana in order to become eligible to contest upcoming Panchayat elections restricted by the two-child norm, police said. Investigators have arrested the accused father and a village sarpanch who is alleged to have helped plan the crime.
The incident came to light after the body of a young girl was found in a canal in Nizamabad district. Subsequent investigation identified the child as Prachi (6), a resident of Kerur village in Mukhed taluka of Maharashtra’s Nanded district. Police said the father pushed the child into the canal and tried to mislead investigators before confessing during questioning.
Child’s body found in canal
Police said the girl’s body was discovered in the Nizam Sagar canal near Yedapally a few days before the arrests. Local villagers who were working in nearby fields reportedly heard a splash and later noticed the child’s body floating in the water. They alerted local authorities, who shifted the body and began identification efforts.
Photographs of the child were circulated through police networks and social media channels to establish identity. A person from the girl’s native village recognised her from one such circulated image, which helped police link the case to the family in Nanded district.
A police team then traced the family and brought the father in for questioning.
Father initially misled investigators
According to the Police Commissioner, the father, identified as Pandurang Kondmangale, initially attempted to mislead officers by claiming that the child was undergoing treatment at a health centre. However, inconsistencies in his statements raised suspicion.
During sustained interrogation, he allegedly confessed to killing the child. Police said the accused runs a barber shop in his village and had travelled with the girl on a motorcycle to the canal area across the state border.
Investigators said the crime scene was chosen because the canal area in the neighbouring district was relatively isolated and close enough to reach and return without drawing immediate attention.
Election eligibility motive emerges
During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that he wanted to contest the upcoming Panchayat elections in his village but was ineligible due to the two-child norm applicable to candidates in local body polls in Maharashtra.
Police said he has three children — a three-year-old son and six-year-old twin daughters. Under the prevailing rules, candidates with more than two children are barred from contesting certain local body elections.
According to investigators, he discussed the issue with Ganesh Ramachandra Shinde, the current village sarpanch, who was later arrested for alleged conspiracy and abetment.
Police allege that the two conspired to eliminate one child to overcome the eligibility restriction.
Adoption and abandonment options rejected
Investigators said the accused and his associate initially explored alternatives such as giving the child up for adoption. However, they allegedly dropped the idea because official birth records would still show the child as his daughter, leaving him disqualified under the two-child rule.
They also considered abandoning the child but feared legal and social consequences if she was found and returned. Police said the conspiracy then shifted towards staging a death that could appear accidental.
Officers allege that the father took Prachi to the canal on his motorcycle and pushed her into the water before fleeing the spot.
Arrests and charges
Police have arrested Pandurang Kondmangale and sarpanch Ganesh Ramachandra Shinde. Both have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, among other sections.
Further investigation is underway to determine whether anyone else had prior knowledge of the plan or assisted in facilitating the movement and cover-up attempt.
Police said they are also collecting technical evidence, including call detail records and location data, to strengthen the prosecution case.
Wider concern over misuse of poll norms
The case has triggered shock and outrage in both districts, with officials and local residents describing the alleged motive as deeply disturbing. The two-child norm in local body elections exists in several states as a population control measure, but experts say misuse or extreme responses to eligibility rules underline the need for awareness and counselling.
Authorities said child protection agencies will also review the welfare of the surviving siblings and extend necessary support.
Conclusion
Police said the investigation is continuing and a detailed charge sheet will be filed after completion of forensic and technical analysis. The case stands as a grim example of how electoral ambition, when taken to extremes, can lead to tragic consequences and severe criminal liability.